Metric Tensor Components: Inverse & Derivatives

In summary, the conversation discusses the use of the weak field approximation in the metric tensor, and how the inverse of the metric tensor may not give exactly the desired result due to small values. It also mentions the behavior of derivatives of h in comparison to h itself.
  • #1
ChrisVer
Gold Member
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I have one question, which I don't know if I should post here again, but I found it in GR...
When you have a metric tensor with components:
[itex] g_{\mu \nu} = \eta _{\mu \nu} + h_{\mu \nu}, ~~ |h|<<1 [/itex] (weak field approximation).

Then the inverse is:

[itex] g^{\mu \nu} = \eta^{\mu \nu} - h^{\mu \nu} [/itex] right? However that doesn't give exactly that [itex] g^{\mu \rho}g_{\rho \nu} = \delta^{\mu}_{\nu} [/itex] because of the existence of the [itex]- h^{\mu \rho}h_{\rho \nu} [/itex] which is of course small but it's not zero... Can the inverse matrix be defined approximately?

Also I don't understand why should the derivatives of [itex]h[/itex] behave as [itex]h[/itex] itself? I mean they take the terms like [itex] h \partial h, ~~ \partial h \partial h [/itex] to be of order [itex]\mathcal{O}(h^2)[/itex]... why?
 
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  • #2
They mean to write
[tex]g_{ \mu \nu } = \eta_{ \mu \nu } + \epsilon h_{ \mu \nu } , \ \ \ |\epsilon | \ll 1.[/tex]
Then all the following holds
[tex]g \cdot g = \delta + \mathcal{O}( \epsilon^{2} ) , \ \ h \cdot h \sim h \partial h \sim \partial h \cdot \partial h \sim \mathcal{O} ( \epsilon^{ 2 } ) .[/tex]
 

1. What is a metric tensor?

A metric tensor is a mathematical object that is used to describe the distance and angle measurements in a given space. It is a symmetric rank-2 tensor that defines the inner product between two vectors in a space.

2. What is the inverse of a metric tensor?

The inverse of a metric tensor is a tensor that, when multiplied with the original metric tensor, gives the identity matrix. It is used to raise and lower indices in tensor calculations and is essential in general relativity.

3. How do you calculate the inverse of a metric tensor?

The inverse of a metric tensor can be calculated by taking the reciprocal of the determinant of the metric tensor and multiplying it by the adjugate of the metric tensor. This process is known as finding the cofactor matrix.

4. What are the derivatives of the metric tensor?

The derivatives of the metric tensor are used to describe the curvature and geometry of a space. They are calculated by taking the partial derivatives of the metric tensor components with respect to the coordinates of the space.

5. How are metric tensor components used in physics?

Metric tensor components are used in physics, specifically in the theory of general relativity, to describe the curvature of spacetime. They are also used to calculate distances and angles in different coordinate systems and to define the metric for a given space.

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